Seventeen year old Safaya Bennett must navigate young adulthood under the stresses of her sins, her crumbling relationship with her twin sister, Rue, and a crippling mental disorder that makes her very dependent on her relationship with Nate Jacobs...
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The feelings of numbness that I was feeling would soon transfer to my sister as her night progressed.
It was Maddy's birthday party and the night had been in full swing for about an hour. Maddy, Lexi, BB, and Saf were cheering on Cassie and Lexi's mom as she tried twerking in their living room. The blonde was sitting on the steps outside of the living room, drinking on a Seagrams Escapes while whining about Nate not showing up yet.
And while my sister was having the time of her life, I was growing miserable in the back seat of Elliot's Saturn as he and Jules stole White Claws from the local convenience store. I had voted against this by the way, just in case anyone was wondering if I completely lost all morals. But Jules and Elliot were in their own world and I felt like an intruder in whatever they had going on.
The store clerk chased down the car, bashing his bat in the passenger seat. Splattering glass all over my girlfriend as she shrieked in amusement.
It felt weird calling her my girlfriend because I knew something had shifted. I wasn't one hundred percent sure what had changed between us but being with Jules didn't feel the same. I didn't enjoy being with her and I don't think I can blame it on the drugs.
My night was beginning to take a turn in the completely wrong direction while Safaya's was only beginning. If I had a crystal ball or visions or something I would have told her to just get out of there while she could.
"Cass!" My sister called out to her.
Ever since Nate called Cassie and explained how my sister found her thong, the blonde had been doing her best to avoid my sister. She was scared shitless knowing that if she had one wrong move, Safaya and Maddy would know she had been hooking up with Nate. The anxiety was killing her and when Cassie was anxious, she liked to drink.
And when she drank, bad shit happened.
Cassie shuddered, quickly changing her worried expression into a smile. "Hey, Saf!" She said. "What's up, Babe?"
"Nothing. I just feel like I haven't really talked to you today." My sister gave her a big hug. "How are you doing?"
A knock on the door interrupted whatever Cassie was going to say and lie about. Saf raised a brow before going to answer the door. She hoped it was TJ on the other side but was quickly disappointed when she opened the door to find Nate Jacobs on the other side. Cassie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she saw Nate.
Safaya rolled her eyes. "Oh ... it's you." She snarled.
"Always good to see you too, Saf." Nate greeted sarcastically. "Is Maddy here?" He asked, holding a small blue bag from Tiffany's in his hands.
Before my sister could answer, Cassie interrupted and told him where Maddy was in the home. She took a big gulp of her second drink of the night which didn't go unnoticed by my sister. Her drinking was making her uncomfortable, giving her flashbacks to how my sister abused alcohol. She decided not to comment on it. Whatever was bothering Cassie, she would discuss it with her when Cass was ready to talk.
